Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Habitat for Humanity

JOHANNESBURG--Five years ago, as we headed for the Johannesburg Airport to return home to the United States, our South African host mused, “In just a few hours, you’ll be leaving Africa. But it will be a long time before Africa will leave you.” His words have remained in my heart for these past few years.

A view looking down the "street" from our building site. Note cement bags in foreground.

A few months ago, Steve and I began making plans to return to South Africa for a business/holiday trip. From the start of our plans, we knew that spending a part of our visit doing volunteer work and getting to know “regular” South Africans was imperative. Back home we are involved in a variety of volunteer activities. We have supported and admired Habitat for Humanity through our church and community. Several years ago we were moved by a volunteer’s slide presentation and talk about volunteering in Africa through HFH International. Alas, my search for a place to volunteer met with obstacle after obstacle: HFH International had no builds scheduled during the time of our visit. The numerous organizations offering volunteer opportunities or holidays required a much longer time commitment than our small business could support or endure. Many programs were designed for youth, and although Steve and I are young at heart, we are undeniably middle-aged! Discouraged, but not deterred, I found and emailed HFH-South Africa. Within a day or two, the answer to my prayers arrived in a warm and encouraging email from Trevor Molefe of the HFH Johannesburg office. HFH-SA had forwarded my inquiry, and here we are!

From his first encouraging email, we were inspired by the scope and extent of the Johannesburg HFH successes and vision, and by Trevor’s warm and enthusiastic invitation to join in the Ivory Park, Midrand build.

Shows Esther, the homeowner, with family, neighbors and Justice, the HFH mason in charge of the build. Esther's present home can be seen in the background.

We arrived here just two nights ago, after 27 hours in planes and airports, and hastily hopped into bed. Trevor would pick us up at 08:15 the next morning! Given our excitement, we easily awoke that first morning in anticipation of the build. When we met Trevor his warmth matched that of his correspondence. We drove the half hour or so towards the build, moved by the stories, impressive successes, extensive partnerships and planned events for an expanding project: providing many, many desperately needed homes and a glimmer of hope.

Near Ivory Park, Steve and I met two vans with other early morning volunteers headed for the build. With water bottles, cameras (Trevor had responded that cameras were welcome), and sandwiches stuffed into our knapsack, we traveled the rest of the route to the site.

Ivory Park is a labyrinth of narrow red dusty streets and passageways. Lot after lot flaunted humanity’s creativity and resourcefulness in meeting necessity. Shacks crafted with walls in a patchwork of tin roofing, wooden crates, garage doors, cement blocks and plastic sheeting huddled together in an array of colors. Neatly swept dirt yards contrasted with those piled with debris from cast-off autos and building materials, stockpiled in case of future need.

Humanity abounded. Despite the hour men and women, teens and little ones strolled the streets or gathered by the roadside chatting. High unemployment, of which we had read and heard, was evident.

Judy and other volunteers form a chain to move blocks from a street side pile to the building site.

When we arrived at our building site, Justice, the HFH mason in charge of building this house, was already hard at work. The foundation of Esther, the homeowner’s, 50 square meter house was dug and poured in a neat trench, ready for the foundation blocks.

Within short order, we volunteers were put to work. There were bricks to be moved from the roadside heap to neat piles, ready for the masonry work under Justice’s keen eye. We lined up, brigade style handing off the bricks and blocks, until the stash by the road was gone and a new wall’s increasing height gave us new impetus, despite the heat of the day.

Mixing mortar the old fashion way.

By afternoon’s end, we knew by heart the call for dagga-- the African word for mortar. Time and again, we hefted shovels, heaped with the wet dagga “batter,” to the volunteers with their trowels. And the walls grew higher.

The walls today reached above the window frames, which we put in only this morning. The floor of red dirt has been partially leveled. Tomorrow we’ll add the roof trusses. Neighborhood youngsters and parents will reappear again, tomorrow and the days after, touched by hope and community and a sense of possibility.

Surely, there is much more to be done. As Trevor drove us back to our lodging this afternoon, he assured us that we are on track, no matter how impossible it seems, to complete Esther’s house in time for the Friday afternoon dedication. And before I dozed off in the car’s back seat, he reminded us that “the gift of Hope is as great as the gift of life.”

Tonight as we tumble, stiff and smiling, into bed, looking forward to our remaining three days with HFH-Johannesburg, we ourselves are stirred.

Judy & Steve Brown
Freeport, Maine, USA

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